I'll Never Let You Go
by PintSizeGenius
Summary: Set after LRC. DL. Can their new-found relationship survive when everything seems to be against them? Full summary inside. COMPLETE
1. An Old Friend Returns

**I'LL NEVER LET YOU GO...**

**AN: **I started this story back in January, but because of various things, I've only just got round to posting it.

It's set after Love Run Cold. Lindsay didn't stand Danny up on their date and they got together.However, Lindsay is still haunted by her past. Can their new-found relationship survive when everything seems to be against them?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters; I just like to torture them. No copyright infringement intended.

Please review; they help me improve and encourage me to write and update. I have nearly all of this already written, so I'm hoping I'll be able to update regularly.

Anyway, enough rambling, on with the story…

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**Chapter 1: An Old Friend Returns**

The shrill, almost deafening buzz of a cell phone echoed around the quiet room, penetrating into the sleeper's haunting dream, rousing her from her restless slumber. She cautiously opened her deep brown eyes, only to quickly shut them again, blinded by the bright light that streamed through the crack in her floral curtains, illuminating the dark room in an orange early morning glow. Rolling over onto her back, she looked at the digital alarm clock perched next to her cell phone. Through her tired eyes, she just made out the blurry display - 5:58am. She grasped the cell phone just as it wobbled off her old, wooden bedside cabinet and flipped it open, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Monroe" she answered gruffly, her voice laden with sleep. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, awaiting a response, from who she thought was Mac calling her in for a case, even though was not expected at work that day.

"Mornin' sleepy-head," replied Danny, his Staten Island accent coming through strongly. Lindsay sighed.

"What'ya want, Danny?" Lindsay replied, slightly irritated at him for waking her up, but mostly relieved to have woken up from her harrowing dream.

"Look who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this mornin'!"

"Cute, Messer. Now what'ya want? It's my day off." Lindsay said, yawning.

"Busy night…mornin'… whatever. We're tapped out, need all hands on deck." Danny heard Lindsay moan in annoyance, and chuckled.

"Tell Mac I'll be there in an hour." Lindsay said, resignedly.

"Will do. Later, baby girl." Lindsay said goodbye to Danny and hung up the phone. She pulled herself out of bed and headed into the bathroom. She turned the taps in the shower to hot and, after removing her camisole and shorts, she stepped in. The warm water flooded over her, soothing her aching muscles, shocking her body awake. After about 20 minutes, she stepped out, dried off, and changed into a simple outfit of jeans that hugged her hips, and a V-neck top, which showed a little more cleavage than she usually exposed. She slung on her shoes and jacket, grabbed an apple to eat on the way, and headed out, locking the door securely behind her.

She left her apartment complex, shivering as the harsh winter breeze hit her. Wrapping her parker jacket tightly around herself, she strode off at quite a brisk pace towards the subway station, munching on her apple as she went. She made it to the station a few minutes later, bought her ticket from the spotty, blonde-haired teenager behind the booth, and ran to catch her train. She jumped into the carriage just as the doors slammed shut, narrowly missing trapping her in their deathly grip. She looked around at the surprisingly empty carriage and took a seat near the window, watching as the lights and tracks whizzed past her in a blur. Fifteen minutes later, the train screeched to a halt, and Lindsay stepped out onto the platform and headed out. She left the station and jogged the short distance to the lab. She walked through the automatic doors into the warmth of the New York Crime Lab building, letting the heat course through her, warming her chilled skin and bones. She shrugged off her jacket and looked at her watch - 6:55am. She headed over to the elevators and pressed the flashing button to bring the lift down to the ground floor. A few seconds later, the heavy metal doors opened and she stepped in. The elevator was full with office personnel, so she had to squeeze in at the front. She tilted her head back so she could watch the numbers slowly climbing_. 2...3…4...5_... Lindsay looked at her watch, wondering why it was taking so long. Finally, the doors pinged open at the 35th floor. She stepped out, and hurried to the break room to meet Mac and the others. She arrived in the break room to see that only Danny was there. She took a seat beside him, and he took her small, cold hand in his larger mitt, gently massaging it, sending heat coursing through her body. She leant against him, her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Hey baby," Danny drawled. "You're freezing." He leant in close, and whispered in her ear seductively, his breath tickling her neck. "Let me warm you up." Lindsay sent him a sultry smile and leant in, her lips inches from his. Just then, Mac walked in. He cleared his throat to get their attention. "Come on, lovebirds. We've got a triple in Brooklyn. I'll fill you in on the way, let's go." Mac ordered, and then left. Lindsay and Danny stood and hurried after him, their faces red.

They piled into Mac's car, Mac driving with Danny and Lindsay in the back, and speeded off down the busy city streets. "So, where we headed, Mac?" Danny enquired, his arm draped over Lindsay's shoulder, her head nestled in the crook of his arm. "Apartment in Brooklyn. Family was murdered, a single mother and her twin girls, aged 16." Danny felt Lindsay tense up beside him. He squeezed her hand in gentle support. "Do we know COD?" Lindsay asked her voice quiet and weak. "Flack just said it's brutal. Worst he's ever seen." Mac said, oblivious to Lindsay's discomfort. Lindsay snuggled closer to Danny, as horrific memories flooded her mind - the sound of gunshots and blood-curdling screams echoed through her head. She shook her head to try and shake the sounds from her mind and squeezed her eyes shut, trying vainly to stop the tears, which had rapidly formed behind her lids, from escaping. A worried voice broke through her thoughts.

"Linds?! Honey? We're here." Lindsay sat up, wiped her wet cheeks, and jumped out of the car before Danny could notice. Danny grabbed their kits and handed Lindsay hers. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, let's just get this over with." Lindsay snapped, but immediately regretted it when she saw the look of hurt in Danny's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dan. I'm just tired. Someone woke me up." Danny laughed, wrapped her hand in his and they walked into the apartment building.

The strong smell of copper filled the air as Mac, Danny and Lindsay entered the two-bedroom apartment. They immediately spotted a trail of footprints leading from one of the bedrooms to the entrance, and sidestepped to avoid them. They stuck close to the walls as the ventured further into the room. They found the mother lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of 

blood, with multiple holes in her upper torso. Her arms were covered in scratches and bruises; evidence that she fought, hard. Danny gulped, trying hard to prevent the pancakes he had enjoyed for breakfast from coming back up. "I've got this one." Mac said, as he knelt beside the body.

"The others are in the bedroom, second door on your left." Flack said, before leaving to take witness statements. Danny and Lindsay turned, and headed into the girls' bedroom. What they saw shocked them both - one of the twins was lying on the bed, her shirt ripped open, her torso littered with gunshot wounds, the bed sheets soaked in deep crimson blood. The other was on the floor, her skirt hiked up to her waist, with several large gunshot wounds in her back, her blood pooling around her, soaking through the pale cream carpet. The colour drained from Lindsay's face, and her legs went weak. Her vision was blurred; all she could see were images of her friends, lying dead on the floor of the café. Danny saw Lindsay's pale complexion and was immediately concerned. He pulled her out of the room, fearing she would pass out.

"What's going on, Lindsay? First in the car, now this? Talk to me." However, Lindsay was still too shocked, so Danny just pulled her to him, and held her as the tears she had been trying desperately to hold back finally fell from her eyes, cascading down her porcelain face, staining Danny's dark green shirt. Just then, Mac came round the corner.

"I've finished with the mother; they're taking her away now. Everything ok?" he asked.

"We're fine, Mac. The scene just shook Linds up a bit, that's all." Danny said, hoping Mac would believe him. Mac noticed something was wrong, but decided not to push it.

"Ok. Well, there was a huge shootout in Times Square fifteen minutes ago. Can you finish up here?"

"Sure Mac. We can handle it. We'll see you back at the lab." Mac nodded, gathered his stuff and left.

"I don't think I can go back in there, Danny." Lindsay said, weakly. Danny knew this went deeper than just a gruesome scene, but he also knew not to push it. He simply nodded, and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"That's ok, baby girl. I'll take the girls' room. You finish up in the kitchen." Lindsay nodded, and made her way into the kitchen.

She watched Sid's assistants wheel all the bodies out on gurneys and started taking samples of the pool of blood where the mother had been lying. The house was eerily silent, and all of Lindsay's senses were on alert. As she leant over to retrieve an evidence bag to place the samples in, she heard the distinct sound of footsteps.

"Danny? Is that you?" Lindsay asked, her heartbeat rapidly increasing. A drop of perspiration trickled down from her moist forehead to her nose; she quickly wiped away.

"Remember me, Lindsay?" A deep voice travelled through the empty room, reverberating off the walls. A flash of recognition crossed Lindsay's face, and her heart was filled with fear. She turned her head, but froze when she heard the familiar scraping and clicking sound of a gun being cocked ready to fire.

"How did you…? I thought…" Lindsay stuttered, her voice failing her. She slowly turned around, and came face to face with the man who had filled her dreams for so many years.

"Montana? Everything ok in there?" Danny shouted from the girls' room. He had heard the voices and was concerned.

"Who's that?" the intruder questioned. "I thought everyone left!" Lindsay saw the anger bubbling through him. His finger moved to the trigger. Lindsay's heart pounded, threatening to burst out of her chest. The beep of Lindsay's pager startled them both. The man's finger slipped on the trigger releasing a bullet that went hurtling towards Lindsay. The bullet sliced through the flesh in her shoulder, sending a river of blood down her chest, soaking through 

her top. Upon hearing the gunshot, Danny immediately dropped the evidence bag he was holding and ran into the kitchen, withdrawing his gun from its holster. What he saw made him sick to the stomach - Lindsay was lying on the tiled floor, her torso covered in blood, leaking from the fresh wound in her shoulder.

"Oh my god, Lindsay!" Danny cried and rushed over to her. The shooter was no-where to be seen. Danny saw that the window in the lounge was wide open, and he remembered that it was closed when they first arrived. Danny knew that was the shooter's escape route, and he should go after him, but his concern for Lindsay was stronger. Danny heard the clatter of footsteps running up the stairs, and knew that help was coming. A neighbour must have heard the gunshot and called it in.

"Lindsay, baby, stay with me," Danny said, taking her cold hand in his. Mac and Flack burst through the apartment doors, closely followed by Hawkes and Stella.

"He went out through the lounge window. He's probably long gone by now." Danny said, still clutching Lindsay's hand. Flack went over to the window to see if he could see the attacker. The paramedics rushed in and knelt down beside Lindsay.

"She's lost a lot of blood; the bullet probably nicked an artery. We need to get her to the hospital, stat." the paramedic said. They bandaged up the wound, which was still bleeding, but not as profusely as before, slid her onto a stretcher, and wheeled her away, Danny still clutching onto her hand like a vice grip, determined not to let go. They rushed into the elevator, and were soon loading her into the ambulance. Danny climbed in after her, whispering soothing words to her, willing her to stay with him.

"Room for one more, the rest of you will have to follow," the paramedic said. Everyone looked at each other, then to Mac. Mac looked into the eyes of his team and saw mixed emotions - sadness, anguish, hurt - but only in the eyes of the Greek woman beside him did he see true fear and pleading. With a quick nod, he signalled to Stella that she should be the one to accompany Danny. As she moved to enter the ambulance, Mac held her arm.

"Take care of her, Stell. And Danny too; he needs you." Stella nodded in understanding, and then boarded the ambulance. The driver shut the doors and jumped into the cabin. The ambulance sped off, lights flashing, siren blazing, into the busy New York streets.

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**AN:** Please review, good or bad, I don't mind, I can take it. Thanks x


	2. Knocking On Death's Door

**AN: **Thanks to all who reviewed or put this story on their Alerts. I really appreciate it.

Here's chapter two. The italics are thoughts or memories.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review, it helps me improve.

**Chapter 2: Knocking On Death's Door**

"Clear!" the paramedic shouted before applying the defibrillator pads to Lindsay's bare chest. Her body jerked about like a fish stranded on a beach struggling to take its last dying gasp of air. Holding his breath, the paramedic glanced up at the monitor, hoping to see the currently flat, green line magically jump into life. However, the gods seemed to be taunting him, as the line stayed the same, and the monotonous beep echoed in his ears, leaving them ringing. He let out the breath in an audible sigh of frustration.

"No response. Charging at 300." The paramedic turned to the machine the pads were attached to and pressed some buttons, increasing the charge.

"C'mon kiddo," Stella whispered, squeezing Lindsay's cold, clammy hand. Danny's head hung dejectedly down, his sea blue eyes drowning in a river of tears, muttering a silent prayer. He closed his eyes as memories flooded his mind.

_"Danny's got that covered," Mac said as he pried the tiger's jaws open. Danny walked up behind Lindsay._

_"That'd be me, Danny Messer, how ya doin'?" Lindsay turned round, and taking a good look at her new colleague, shyly replied, sporting a grin the Cheshire cat would be proud of. _

_"Hi." She looked into Danny's sky blue eyes, feeling herself getting lost in them. Mac's voice broke their piercing gaze. _

_"I need you to hold the tiger's jaws so I can get the dental impression." Lindsay was just about to join Mac in the tiger cage, when Danny's low drawl stopped her in her tracks. He leaned in, his mouth inches from her ear and said in a low whisper, "Just take a deep breath, and don't let him know you're afraid coz he can sense when you're nervous." His breath tickled her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Lindsay racked her brain for a response, to show this obviously cocky investigator that she can hold her own. _

_"Tiger's tranquilized; I think I can handle it." She turned and said the words straight to his face, trying vainly to not drown in the blue pools that were his eyes. _

_"I'm talking about Mac. And make sure you call him 'Sir'." With that, Danny wandered off. Lindsay let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and proceeded into the tiger's cage._

_..._

_"Maybe this isn't about the doll at all. Maybe he just used it to defend himself." Lindsay said as she watched their only viable suspect drive away. She turned to Danny, who shook his head. _

_"Nah, the grip was way too tight. You ever been to a shooting where the victim's hand is actually frozen in place? You can actually take the gun and slide it right into the palm." Danny said, taking Lindsay's hand in his own to demonstrate. Lindsay's breath hitched in her throat as she felt Danny take her hand. Danny felt a shiver go down his spine as he felt the velvety softness of her skin. "Perfect fit." Danny's voice was low and husky. "That means he was struggling with his attacker." Lindsay looked up and locked eyes with him for a second. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Danny let go of her hand, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. He decided to take the plunge. "You hungry?"_

_"I've gotta get back to the lab," Lindsay said, walking to Danny's truck. Danny's eyes showed his disappointment, but he quickly suppressed it. _

_"Yeah, me too," he replied, trying to keep the feeling of defeat out of his voice. He followed her to his truck, repeating his words, more to himself. "Me too." _

_..._

_"I need you in Dr Zimmer's shoes because the plaster casts I got from the suspect's footprints are about half an inch deeper in the heel than they were in the toe, which is odd." Lindsay explained to Danny, who was tying the laces on the suspect's shoes. He stood up and walked over to where Lindsay was waiting for him. She wrapped one arm round his neck, as he put his arm under her knees, lifting her up bridal-style. He suppressed a groan as he felt his back twinge from the weight. "I weigh about the same as the vic; you weigh about the same as Dr Zimmer." She turned her head as a lab tech placed a dumbbell in her lap. "Thanks. The extra weight makes it exact." Danny stared at the tech, who nervously backed away. "Why do I have to do this when he's right there? Not that I'm complaining." Danny thought to himself. _

_"Look, you promised me drinks for this, but I think I'm gonna need some dinner too," Danny said, adjusting Lindsay in his arms. Lindsay looked at him. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk. _

_"I'm not gonna give you anything if you don't get going. Make tracks Cowboy." Lindsay gestured with her head towards the flower bed. Danny stepped over the border and crossed the bed. He let her down. _

_..._

_"Tyrell Mann. They called him Superman." Danny said as he set his kit down and opened it, putting on his latex gloves. _

_"And with good reason," Lindsay replied, looking up from the body. "45 college touchdowns, over 3000 career rushing yards and an average of 7.2 yards a carry." She looked and saw Danny's shocked face, and had to stifle a laugh. _

_"Don't tell me you know a little something about football, please." Danny said. _

_"Why, is that so hard to believe?" _

_"No, it's just dangerous; I might ask you to marry me." Lindsay looked up in surprise at his words. He just looked at her, showing he meant it. She just smiled and returned to her work, her mind still in shock that a guy like Danny might be interested in her. Danny was also shocked that he said something so intimate out loud, but he shook it off, joining Lindsay alongside the body. _

_..._

_Danny ran into the apartment, making his way through the thick smoke, his heart pounding. "Lindsay!" he shouted frantically, looking around for his colleague. "Lindsay!" Suddenly, he heard a small voice penetrating through the smoke. _

_"Danny!" He ran over to her, and helped her up. _

_"Alright?" he asked._

_"Yeah." He pulled her to him, holding her close, whispering soothing words to calm her pounding heart. She pulls away briefly. He placed his hands on her shoulders, searching her eyes. He saw fear, terror, and a need to feel secure. He pulls her back against his chest, his chin resting on her head, thankful nothing happened to her, silently vowing to always keep her safe…_

"Clear!" The sharp voice of the paramedic pierced through Danny's thoughts. A wave of guilt washed over him, as he realized he had broken his silent promise to protect his one true love. A fresh set of tears poured from his eyes, as Stella hugged him, reassuring that Lindsay's strong and will pull through, oblivious to the true reason for this fresh outbreak. The paramedic replaced the pads, sending volts of electricity coursing through Lindsay's lifeless body. Not a sound could be heard, bar the humming drone of the engine, as everyone stared intently at the dark screen. After what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality, mere minutes, the green line sprung to life, dancing into spikes in time with the rhythmic beep that echoed through the ambulance. An audible sigh escaped from everyone's mouths. The paramedic gingerly placed two shaking fingers to the side of Lindsay's neck. He felt a slight beat under his fingertips.

"We've got a pulse, but it's weak. We need to get her there fast." He banged on the wall that separated the cabin from the back, and called to the driver.

"Pick it up, Stan, we can't afford to lose her again." The driver slammed his foot on the accelerator, making the wheels screech on the wet, slick road as the ambulance weaved its way through the morning rush-hour traffic.

The ambulance doors flew open as the paramedics pulled Lindsay's stretcher out and started pushing it towards the hospital entrance. Danny ran alongside them, clutching Lindsay's hand. Stella ran behind, struggling to keep up in her high heels. Within seconds, they burst through the automatic doors into the ER entrance. Doctors and nurses swarmed around them all asking questions and barking orders, deafening Danny. As they pulled Lindsay away, Danny's grip on her hand lessened, but he refused to let go.

"You're going to have to let go, sir, Miss Monroe needs to be treated." A nurse explained, pulling Danny away. He watched as they whisked Lindsay away down the crowded corridor, tears flooding his eyes once more. He was guided into the waiting area where he sunk into a cold, plastic chair, his head falling into his hands. "A doctor will be out with an update shortly." With that, the nurse disappeared into the melee of hospital staff that filled the vast emergency room. Stella wrapped her arm round Danny's broad shoulders, which were shaking from the violent sobs that racked his body, and guided his head onto her shoulder, his tears soaking through her blouse wetting her silky skin.

After a few minutes, the others arrived in the ER. They saw Danny and Stella sitting in the waiting area and rushed over to them.

"How is she?" Flack asked, his voice dripping with concern. Danny looked up, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

"She's being treated right now." He said weakly.

"I'll go and speak to the doctors, see if I can find out more." Hawkes said and wandered off in search of a doctor.

"You guys hungry?" Mac asked and after receiving some vague nods, wandered off to the canteen.

"How you holding up, Danno?" Flack asked, taking a seat next to his best friend. Danny looked over at him, but offered no response; his eyes said it all - his normally bright blue eyes were a dull, haunting grey that showed his inner turmoil.

"It's my fault," Danny said, his voice barely a whisper, but Flack must have heard it as he sternly replied.

"You can't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Without you there, Lindsay wouldn't have survived. Lindsay needs you to be strong; you can't let her see you like this." Hawkes took a seat next to Stella.

"She's in surgery, but they're hopeful." He squeezed Danny's knee in support.

A few hours later, a doctor dressed in scrubs strode up to the team. They all held their breath and waited for the doctor to give them the verdict. "Miss Monroe is out of surgery and recovering in the ICU. We managed to clamp the artery, repair the damage and replace the lost blood. She's in a medically-induced coma, but as soon as we're sure she's stable, we'll bring her round." The doctor explained. A sigh of relief escaped from all the CSIs' mouths.

"Can we see her?"Danny asked a look of pleading in his eyes. The doctor shook his head. "Please! I have to see her!" Danny begged, his eyes filling with tears again. The doctor conceded.

"Ok, but only you and one other, there isn't room for all of you." The doctor then walked off. Danny turned to the others.

"You go, Stell, you're the two she'll want to see." Flack said. "We'll go and find Mac and meet you outside ICU, okay?" They nodded, and then headed in the direction the doctor had gone, whilst the others went to find Mac.

The clacking sound of Stella's Gucci high heels was the only noise to be heard in the empty hallway, as Stella and Danny approached Lindsay's room. Danny's sweaty hand reached out towards the handle, but quickly recoiled. "I don't think I can go in there, Stell." Danny croaked his voice thick with emotion.

"Danny," Stella said, placing her hand on his shoulder, "She needs you right now; she was there for you when your brother was comatose, it's time to return the favor." Danny nodded, then slowly turned the door handle and pushed the door open. He saw Lindsay's lifeless body lying there on the stark white bed, hooked to every machine imaginable, and almost started crying once again, had there been any tears left to cry. He took a seat next to her, taking her small hand in his, massaging the back with the pad of his thumb. Stella sat opposite him, watching Lindsay's eyelids twitch as if a brutal battle was raging inside her head. A few minutes later, the door creaked open and a nurse entered. She walked over to the side of the bed. "Excuse me; I need to check her vitals." The nurse said to Stella. Stella politely moved from her seat. "I'm reducing her meds now, so she should be awake in the next few hours." The nurse said, before checking some vitals on the machines.

"Dan," Stella said. Danny looked up. "I'm gonna go see where the others are, I'm starved. Can I bring you anything?"

"I'm fine thanks, Stell." Stella nodded, and left the room. The nurse left soon after, leaving Danny alone. Danny listened as the sound of Stella's heels got gradually quieter until the only sound that reached his ears was the rhythmic beeps of the many machines surrounding him and the soothing sound of Lindsay's gentle breathing. A strand of hair fell across Lindsay's face, and Danny reached up and brushed it away, his hand lingering for a moment, stroking the soft skin of her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Linds. I should have protected you." Danny said his voice barely above a whisper. He reached for her hand again, squeezing it lightly. "I can't lose you, Montana. You're my life." He felt his eyes droop as the stress of the day finally caught up with him. He brought Lindsay's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back. "I love you, baby girl." He whispered, before succumbing to sleep, his head resting on the edge of her bed, his hand still clutching hers.

Over the next few hours, Danny stayed vigilantly by Lindsay's side, drifting in and out of sleep. The other members of the team had all popped in to check on Lindsay's progress, even Peyton, Sid and Adam, before heading back to the lab to start processing.

Whilst Danny was resting, he felt slight pressure on the hand still holding Lindsay's mitt tightly. This roused him from his light slumber. Looking up, he saw no change on Lindsay's face; her chest was still rising and falling at a constant rate. Concluding that he had just imagined it, he rested his head back on the edge of the bed. As he drifted back to sleep, his muscles relaxed, causing his hand to slip off Lindsay's and come to rest on the soft mattress. A few minutes passed, until Danny felt the familiar sensation of a small hand gently running through his spiky, matted hair. Looking up, he saw Lindsay's eyelids slowly flutter open. A smile appeared on her face as his eyes met hers.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Montana," Danny said with a smirk. He leaned in and placed a loving kiss on her lips. "I love you," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you, too." she replied weakly, pulling him closer. He laid on the bed next to her, her head resting on his chest, listening to the soothing drumming of his heartbeat. And that's how the team found them an hour later, snuggled up to each other, sleeping peacefully.

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That's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review. :) Thanks x


	3. Reliving The Past

My sincerest apologies for the lateness of this chapter. I know I told most of you, those who reviewed, that it would be up on Saturday, but last Thursday, my computer died. It is now back up and running, and to celebrate, I'll be posting a double update. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 3: Reliving the Past**

A few days later, the doctors concluded that Lindsay was well enough to be discharged, and Danny, who had since left his post at Lindsay's bedside to return to the lab, arrived to pick her up. They signed the discharge papers, and Lindsay was wheeled to Danny's car in a hospital wheelchair, after much resistance, saying she was perfectly capable of walking on her own. Danny helped her into his car and then ran round to the driver's seat, not wanting to keep Lindsay waiting. He hopped in and they sped off into the bustling city streets.

Once they were on the road, Danny turned to Lindsay. "So, your place or mine? Do you need to get some fresh clothes?" Lindsay turned from staring out of the window.

"Actually, I'd rather go to the lab."

"Montana, Mac's put you on mandatory leave. You cannot work for a few weeks. Besides, I'm sure you want to rest." Lindsay sighed in frustration.

"I've been resting for four days! I am bored out of my mind! I need something to distract me. Besides, you've got to go back to process, and..." Lindsay trailed off.

"And, what?"

"I don't want to be alone." She replied so quiet she thought Danny had not heard. Alas, he had, as he immediately grasped her hand and turned to her, concern in his eyes. He saw the fear in her eyes, and knew she needed him.

"The lab it is, then." He made a U-turn and headed back in the direction of the crime lab.

Danny's department SUV pulled into the last available disabled parking space in front of the crime lab.

"I'm not disabled, you know, Dan." Lindsay said, laughing at Danny's overprotective nature.

"You're wounded, that counts." He jumped out of the car and ran round to help Lindsay out. They walked hand-in- hand into the lab, welcoming the warm blast of air that hit them as they entered. They headed to the elevators and pressed the button to bring the elevator down to their floor. A few seconds later, the doors pinged open and they entered. The elevator was surprisingly empty. Danny wrapped his arms around Lindsay's waist from behind and felt her relax into him.

"You sure you're up to this, babe?" Danny asked, his breath tickling her neck.

"I'm sure." Danny smiled and placed a kiss on her neck, smirking when he heard Lindsay's sharp intake of breath.

About a minute later, the elevator jolted as it reached their floor and the doors slid open. They stepped out and headed straight to Mac's office to explain the situation.

**Meanwhile...**

Stella felt a rush of cold air as she entered the basement and sauntered through the doors of autopsy. She walked over to where Sid was studying a bullet he had just pulled out of one for the victims.

"What'ya got for me, Sid?" Sid looked up, a little startled, but regained composure.

"Sorry, didn't see you there. How's Linds? She's supposed to be coming out of hospital today, right?"

"She came out this morning; Danny picked her up and took her home. She's a tough cookie; she will be back in no time. So, what do we have to nail this guy?"

"The mother was shot once in the chest from a distance, with what appears to be some kind of handgun, possibly a revolver. A quick, clean kill, one hell of a shot. The bullet nicked her heart, death was almost instantaneous." He handed Stella a small plastic jar, which contained a small, blood-covered bullet.

"Thanks." Stella studied the bullet, hoping that it was from a gun already in the database.

"The girls, however, were a different story. There was nothing quick or clean about it. This looks almost like torture..." He guided Stella over to where the girls were lying on cold, metal slabs. Stella looked down at their pale faces, and felt a strange sense of familiarity. Then it struck her; they looked like Lindsay, only younger. The same chocolate-brown eyes, wavy mousey hair. This unnerved Stella, who hadn't registered that Sid, was still speaking.

"Stell?" Sid said. Stella snapped back to reality. "Something wrong?"

"Sorry, Sid. Is it just me or to they look like..."

"Lindsay? Yeah, I noticed that too. Uncanny, isn't it?"

"Just a little. I just hope it's a coincidence." Stella said, knowing full well it probably wasn't. "Anyway, you were saying?"

"Right." Sid noted the quick change of subject, and played along. "They were both repeatedly sexually assaulted, then killed in a hail of bullets. Time of death was roughly the same for both twins, but they were assaulted at different times, which suggest only one attacker. Cause of death was exsanguination for both." Sid hands Stella the rest of the evidence he had collected. "Say "hi" to Linds for me." Stella waved in acknowledgement as she left.

Stella walked into the layout room, and spread all the photos of the crime scene over the table, hoping something would jump out at her. Beside her, a computer was frantically searching through databases looking for a match to prints found at the scene. After sifting through evidence for what seemed like hours, Stella is startled by the beeping of the computer, signalling it had found a match. Stella tapped a few keys and a case file popped up on the screen. Stella noticed that it was not from New York, but was from a case in Bozeman, Montana. "How strange," she thought. "You don't think...?" She read on. 'Daniel Cadence, aged 19, was charged with four counts of murder and was sentenced to life in prison. The only witness at the trial was... Miss Lindsay Monroe.' Stella was shocked at what she had read. Lindsay had witnessed a crime? And now he was back to finish the job! She rushed out of the room towards Mac's office.

When Danny and Lindsay arrived at Mac's office, they weren't surprised to see him buried in a case file. They gently knocked on the door, the sound reverberating off the glass walls. Mac looked up and upon seeing who it was, signalled them to enter. "Ah, Danny, just the person I wanted to see; I've got another case for you..." he trailed off when he realised Danny wasn't alone. Danny noticed Mac's slightly confused look, and stepped in.

"Can Linds hang around the lab today? I know she's not allowed in the field, but can't she help around here?"

"You've just come out of hospital, Linds. You need to rest." Mac reasoned.

"Please, Mac. You know me; I can't stand sitting around doing nothing. I want to help." Mac saw the same look in Lindsay's eyes Danny had seen in the car and relented.

"Ok, but if the Chief gets wind of this, you're both going down with me? Alright?"

"Thanks, Mac." Lindsay gave him a quick hug. "Now, what do you need us to do?"

"Well, as I said, I've got a new case..." They were interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Mac looked up and saw Stella standing at the doorway, a little out of breath. He knew immediately something wasn't right.

"What's wrong, Stella?" Stella put the file on the table. Mac glanced over it, and immediately paled. He turned it around, so Lindsay could see it. Tears sprung from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks. Danny held her to him, and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. Once she had calmed down from the initial shock, she turned to see Mac and Stella staring at her expectantly.

"I guess I should explain... Daniel Cadence was my first boyfriend back in Montana. Things were great, until I started befriending other guys. He became very jealous and possessive. Things escalated and he started to... abuse me." Her voice choked, as the tears returned. Danny held her close, his hands running over her arms, soothing her, even though inside his blood was boiling. "When I was 15, he saw me hug another guy, and went berserk. That night, he raped me. I didn't go to the police or tell anyone, for fear of what he might do. I regret that decision every day." She gripped Danny's hand. "For a while, he left me alone, and I thought I was free. But, one day, I was having lunch with three friends in a cafe. I got up to use the bathroom. Whilst I was washing my hands, I heard voices - a male shouting "Where's Lindsay? Where's that cheating bitch!" I heard my friends crying in terror." Tears were now falling freely from Lindsay's eyes, soaking her porcelain face. Danny wiped the tears away and pulled her head to his chest, hugging her tight.

"Take your time, Linds. We know this is hard." Mac said. After a minute or two, Lindsay felt able to continue.

"I heard four gunshots, then silence. I crept to the door, looked out and saw Daniel brandishing a shotgun, covered in blood. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't hear me. After what seemed like hours, he left. I ventured out and saw the bodies of my three friends and the waitress on duty. I called 911." Danny was red with anger that his girl had to go through that. "He was arrested, and I testified at the trial. I thought he was put away for life, but..."

"He appealed and, thanks to his group of slime-ball lawyers, was granted parole. He came out two weeks ago." Stella said. Upon hearing this, Danny jumped to his feet, nearly knocking Lindsay flying. "Just wait till I get my hands on that fuckin' bastard!" he seethed.

"Calm down, Dan. I'll call Flack and go get this son-of-a-bitch. Stell, you got an address?" Mac said, placing his hands on Danny's shoulders to calm him. Stella handed Mac the address.

"I'm coming..." Danny tried to say, but was interrupted.

"No. We need him alive. You've got another case to work on. Don't worry, this bastard isn't gonna see the light of day again." With that, Mac left. Stella left to continue processing the evidence, leaving Danny and Lindsay alone.

"I'm sorry, Linds. I couldn't help myself..." Danny took her in his arms, and hugged her close as she cried the remainder of her tears. When she'd calmed down, Danny took her out of Mac's office.

"I'll take you home." He took her hand and tried to guide her away, but she stood still. He turned and looked at her questioningly.

"Its fine, you've got work to do. I'll call a cab." She replied. Danny gave her a look.

"Linds, there's a maniac loose on the streets out there, hell-bent on revenge against you!"

"Danny, I won't let him scare me. That's what he wants. I won't let him stop me from leading a normal life. He took my friends from me; I won't let him take my freedom." She looked into Danny's eyes, pleading with him. "Fine, but call me when you get back." She nodded. "Be careful, baby. I love you."

"I love you, too." She gently kissed him, and then walked off towards the elevators. Danny watched her walk off, and then headed towards Adam's lab to see if he'd finished with his trace evidence.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review :)


	4. Revenge Is Sweet

Here's the second chapter of that double update. Hope you enjoy it, and I apologize again for the delay.

Okay, I've re-uploaded this chapter (as of 12/08 18:06 GMT), because a significant mistake was brought to my attention. Thanks GRACES. I have made some changes, so if you have already read it, read it again to take note of these.

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****Chapter 4: Revenge Is Sweet**

As Lindsay approached her apartment door, she felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew something was wrong, so withdrew her gun from its holster in anticipation. She saw the door was slightly ajar; this made her heart skip a beat. _I could've sworn I locked that. In fact, I'm sure I did. This can't be good. _She nudged the door open slowly, and entered, her gun poised at arm's length in front of her. Before she could react, a hand appeared from behind and clamped over her mouth tightly, cutting off her air supply. Startled, she dropped her gun, sending it clattering across the tiled floor. Due to her injuries, she knew she would not be able to fight off her attacker who began to drag her towards the bedroom. She was flung onto the bed like a discarded piece of clothing, sending shooting pains through her wounded shoulder. Before she had the chance to escape, the attacker was on top of her, staring down at her with fury in his eyes. Lindsay was frozen in fear when the realisation of the identity of her attacker swept through her.

"Please don't do this, I'll do anything... Please..." Lindsay begged, her heart beating erratically. She looked into the eyes of the intruder and saw a half-glazed, wild look in his deep, brown eyes and knew that her worst nightmare was about to be re-lived.

Danny checked his cell phone for the twentieth time in twenty minutes. Lindsay was supposed to call him as soon as she arrived home. Even allowing for bad traffic, she should have been home over half an hour ago. _She probably just fell asleep. She looked exhausted. _Still, he could not shift that nagging deep inside him telling him something was wrong. He pressed one on his speed dial, and held the phone to his ear, hoping she would answer. His hope dwindled with every ring until he finally heard the chirpy voice of Lindsay's voicemail. He slammed the phone shut in frustration. Sheldon looked from the evidence he was studying.

"What's up, Danny?" he asked.

"Lindsay still hasn't called." Danny sighed. "I never should have let her go home alone." Danny started to pack up the evidence he had laid out in front of him. "I'm gonna swing by her place. Something ain't right. Cover for me?"

"Sure, Dan." Danny hung his lab coat on the hook by the door and rushed towards the elevators, nearly sending interns flying as they sidestepped out of his way. He frantically pushed the button, and waited for the elevator to make its journey to his floor, jumping from one foot to the other like an impatient kid. The doors slid open a few seconds later, and Mac and Flack stepped out, so deep in conversation, they almost didn't see Danny as he darted round them into the elevator.

"Yo, Danno! Where's the fire?" Flack asked, putting a hand on the doors, preventing them closing. Danny, struggled, to reply, as he was out of breath from running.

"Lindsay... No call... Trouble..." he managed to splutter. Flack jumped in the elevator as the doors slammed shut. The elevator started its descent as Flack turned to Danny.

"You got my attention. What's going on?"

"Lindsay refused to let me take me her home and so went alone. She was supposed to call me when she got there, but she never did. Something's wrong, Don, I can feel it."

"Don't worry, Dan. I'm sure it's nothing." Flack tried desperately to reassure his friend. They stepped off the elevator and hurried out to Danny's car. They climbed in and sped off towards Lindsay's apartment.

As they sped through the crowded downtown streets, a thought suddenly occurred to Danny. He turned to Flack.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to pick up Cadence?" Danny asked, his panic slowly rising.

"Yeah, he wasn't there. We were just heading back to the lab to see if you guys had enough evidence to get a warrant to search his place... You ok, Dan?" Danny hadn't heard anything of Flack's spiel beyond those three words that sent his heart pounding, threatening to bust through his chest. _He wasn't there. _Danny slammed his foot down hard on the accelerator sending the car hurtling through the traffic. Reason for Danny's actions dawned on Flack as they swerved round the last corner, both praying they weren't too late.

Danny had jumped out of the car even before it had come to a complete stop. He ran up the steps to Lindsay's apartment and nearly reached the door when he felt a tug on his arm.

"Slow down, Danno. I know you don't want to, but we have to wait for back up. For all we know, Cadence could be up there."

"Yeah, doing god knows what to her. I have to go, Flack." He looked deep into his friend's eyes, trying to make him understand. "I can't lose her, Don. I have to... I have to save her." He said the last part in a voice barely above a whisper. Flack released his grip on Danny's arm, before shouting into his radio for back up. Danny climbed up the final few steps and rushed through the swinging doors. He sprinted to the elevators and dived in just as a couple exited, hitting the button for the fifth floor. He paced the short length of the box as it made its slow and creaky ascent. The metal doors slid open a minute or so later, and Danny hurried across the corridor, pausing just as he approached Lindsay's door, his investigative instincts kicking in. He withdrew his gun from its holster and gently nudged Lindsay's door open. He could see there had been some sort of struggle as keys and other items that were usually situated on the table in the entrance had been scattered across the floor. _She must have been jumped as she entered. He was waiting for her. _He quickly scanned the living area before heading down the corridor towards the bedroom. He saw Lindsay's bedroom door was ajar, and so approached with caution. He slowly opened the door to find Lindsay lying on the bed, exposed and crying. After a quick sweep, he holstered his gun and ran to her side. He gently sat down the bed, and pulled her into his arms, not caring if he was destroying potential evidence - he would face Mac's wrath later; right now, his only concern was his traumatized girlfriend currently crying into his shoulder.

Flack was pacing frantically in front of his car. He unhooked his radio from its holder on his shoulder, and shouted into it. "This is Flack. Where the hell is my back-up?" He listened to the crackly reply, that it was only a few minutes away and slammed the radio back into its holder. He toyed with the idea of ringing Danny's cell to find out what was going on. _But what if Cadence is up there. _Just as he was about the reach for his phone, it started to ring. Seeing the caller-ID, he quickly snapped it open and brought it up to his ear.

"Yo, Danno. You ok? Is Lindsay ok? What's going on?"

"Slow down, Don. I'm fine. Cadence was here, but he's probably long gone. I need an ambulance for Lindsay."

"Don't tell me he shot her again?" Flack said, panic evident in his voice.

"No, he didn't shoot her. Just get the team here, stat." With that, Danny hung up. He held Lindsay tight to his chest, her tears cascading down her face, soaking through his T-shirt. He heard footsteps clattering up the stairs, and felt a flood of relief as he heard Mac's voice.

"In here, boss." he called. Mac and Stella entered the room and gasped at the sight of their fellow colleague, and their friend, exposed and visibly terrified.

"I know I broke protocol, boss. You know, coming up here without back up, probably contaminating the scene... Shit, I'm sorry boss."

"It's ok, Danny. Any one of us would have done the same. We need to get Linds to the hospital, get her checked out, and get a SART exam."

"No." a quiet voice called. Danny looked down to see Lindsay staring up at him with pleading eyes. "Please. I hate hospitals."

"Lindsay, honey, we need to get you checked out. You wanna catch this son-of-a-bitch, don't you?" Lindsay merely nodded, defeated. With help from Danny, she stood and carefully made her way out of the apartment where the paramedics took over.

"Danny, you and Stella go with Linds to the hospital. Get a SART exam. Stella you process her and bring the evidence back to the lab. Danny, once the hospital is done with her, take her somewhere safe, and stay with her. Take a few days off."

"Thanks, Mac." Danny replied, and he and Stella followed the paramedics down to the ambulance. Mac snapped on his latex gloves and started to process the scene, hoping they can find the piece of evidence that will end this, once and for all.

After a thorough examination at the hospital, Lindsay was deemed fit to leave. Stella had brought her some fresh clothes since the ones she was wearing when she was attacked had had to be taken for evidence. Danny had stayed vigilantly by her side since they arrived, refusing to leave her for a second, for fear she could get hurt again. Lindsay knew he blamed himself for what happened, and tried to reassure him that it was not his fault. She changed into the fresh clothes; a simple T-shirt and jeans combo Stella had quickly grabbed from Lindsay's apartment. Danny thought she had never looked so beautiful, despite the numerous bruises that were slowly becoming visible. His heart sank as he thought what she had to go through.

"Ready to go, Montana?" Danny asked as he helped her off the bed.

"Yeah. But, where can I go? My apartment..." she trailed off as memories of the attack flooded her mind. Danny took her hand and squeezed it gently, bringing her back to the present.

"You can stay at my place, baby. Mac's given us some time off." Lindsay smiled. Satisfied that Lindsay was in good hands, Stella headed back to the lab, evidence in hand, hoping they could catch the bastard before he did any more damage. Lindsay and Danny made their way out of the hospital, Danny supporting Lindsay, who was still a little weak and shaken. He helped her into his car, and jogged round to the driver's side. He hopped in and sped off towards his apartment.

Danny shoved the key into the lock and pushed the door, sending it swinging back on its hinges. Lindsay had fallen asleep in the car, the day's events finally catching up with her, so he had carried her up the few flights of stairs to his apartment. He walked into his bedroom, and gently laid Lindsay down on his king-sized bed. He pulled off her shoes to make her more comfortable, and headed into the kitchen to make some food; he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten. He searched the cupboards to find them virtually bare. He realised he hadn't been grocery shopping in weeks; he usually ordered in. He headed over to the phone and dialled the familiar number. He ordered a large margarita, knowing that was Lindsay's favourite. Once he'd hung up the phone, he went to check on Lindsay. She was still sound asleep. He perched on the edge of the bed, smiling down at her as he watched her sleeping. She looked so peaceful, yet her eyes were fluttering frantically under her closed lids, signalling she was dreaming. Danny hoped it was a good dream; though considering recent events, he doubted it. Danny brushed a lock of hair, which had fallen over her face, behind her ear. As he looked down at her sleeping form, his mind flashed back to the events of the past week - the shooting, and today's attack. He felt a pang of guilt run through him; he had vowed to keep her safe, and had broken that promise. The shrill sound of someone knocking on the door pulled Danny from his thoughts. He placed a kiss on Lindsay's temple as he stood to answer the door. He paid the pizza-boy, and brought the box back into the bedroom. The aroma of food must have awakened Lindsay, as she was sitting up, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Hey babe. Thought you might be hungry. Margarita, your favourite." Lindsay smiled, and reached for a slice as Danny placed the open box on the bed. He sat down beside her, pulling her to him, careful of her injuries. He grabbed a slice for himself. Just as he was about to tuck in, his cell-phone started to ring. Groaning in frustration, he put his slice back in the box.

"Is the world conspiring against me to prevent me eating?" Lindsay laughed as Danny answered his phone.

"Messer. Oh, what's up, boss?" At the mention of Mac, Lindsay's ears pricked up. She hoped he was calling to say they had caught Cadence. Danny had a quick conversation with Mac, before hanging up.

"They found Cadence at a gas station, three blocks from your place. They're bringing him in now." Danny informed Lindsay. "Mac says they have enough evidence to form a strong case. DNA and your testimony should make it a slam-dunk."  
"Testimony? Danny, I don't think I can. I can't face him. Not again." Danny could hear the panic in her voice. He pulled her closer.  
"I know, baby. We'll just play it by ear, ok? Maybe they'll have enough evidence that you won't have to." Danny tried to reassure her. He felt her nod against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, before reaching for his slice of pizza again. He moaned in pleasure as he took his first bite, making Lindsay laugh.

"What? I haven't eaten in hours. You want another slice?" Lindsay shook her head, bringing her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.

"You should rest. I'll put this in the kitchen for later, okay?" Lindsay nodded and laid back into the bed. By the time Danny had returned from the kitchen, she was asleep once more. Danny laid down on the bed next to her, placing his right arm around her waist, resting his hand on her stomach, pulling her to him. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent as he drifted off to sleep.

Mac and Flack watched as Daniel Cadence was hauled into interrogation by two burly officers. He was forced down into the chair as Flack and Mac entered. Daniel looked at them with an arrogant smirk that made the detectives' blood boil. They wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smile off his face.

"You know why you're here, Daniel?" Flack asked as he took a seat in front of Cadence. Mac did the same, resting his hands on the table. Cadence simply shrugged his shoulders. This infuriated Flack, who slammed his hand down on the table, sending a shockwave through the room, making the officer standing at the door jump. Cadence didn't even flinch. Mac slammed a picture of Lindsay on the table, shoving it towards Cadence.  
"You recognise her, Daniel?" Mac asked through gritted teeth. Daniel took one glance at the picture, before replying. "Pretty girl."

"The man asked you a question, smartass." Flack seethed. "Do you recognise her?"

"No. Should I?"

"Her name is Detective Lindsay Monroe. That name ring any bells, Cadence?" Another shrug from Cadence made Flack clench his fists so tight, his knuckles turned white. It was taking every ounce of his self-control to refrain from punching this guy's lights out, but he could feel his resolve slipping with every snide remark that slipped from Cadence's lips.

"Cut the BS, Cadence!" Flack shouted, standing up abruptly. "We know you attempted to kill Detective Monroe at a crime scene a week ago. We have your fingerprints at the scene!" Mac tried to grab Flack's arm, to pull him back down into his chair, but Flack shrugged him off. He grabbed Cadence by the collar, pulled him up from his chair and slammed against the back wall.

"We don't take kindly to attacks on one of our own, Cadence!"

"Why do you care what happens to that cheating bitch, anyway! She's nothing but a whore who deserved all she got!" Any sign of self-control Flack had filtered away. He brought his fist back, and crashed it into Cadence's jaw. The sound of bone cracking made Mac cringe. Blood poured out from Cadence's mouth. Flack threw another punch, this time to Cadence's nose. More blood gushed from Cadence's face as he let out a scream of pain. Just as Flack went for another punch, he was pulled back by Mac and an officer. Mac told him to go cool off, pushing him out of the door.

"You got anything you wanna say, Daniel?" Mac said to Cadence, who was still cowering against the wall. He spat out the remaining blood from his mouth.

"I want a lawyer." Mac sighed, knowing that they will never get a confession out of him now. They had strong evidence, but without a confession, Lindsay's testimony would be needed to get the sentence he deserved. The officer dragged Cadence off to booking. Mac exited the interrogation room, to see Flack leaning against the opposite wall.

"What the hell were you thinking, Don? That slime ball lawyered up! Now, we'll never get a confession! You wanna call Lindsay to tell her she's gonna have to testify! Face that bastard again!" Mac took a few deep breaths to get his temper under control. Lindsay is like a daughter to him and he didn't want her to have to go through another trial.

"I'm sorry, Mac." Flack said his eyes downcast, his voice remorseful. He knew what he did was out of line, but whenever he looked into Cadence's eyes, all he could see was Lindsay's face; the fear in her eyes. Stella, who had witnessed Mac's blow-up at Flack, came to see what was going on.

"What happened?" She looked between the two men, waiting for an explanation. Flack looked up, his piercing blue eyes swimming with tears.

"I screwed up." He pushed off the wall he was leaning against and brushed past them towards the staircase leading upwards to the top of the building.

"What happened, Mac?" Stella asked, concerned.

"Flack lost his temper and attacked Cadence. He lawyered up, so we'll never a confession out of him now. So, please tell me you've got something."

"The SART kit was positive. The nurse noted significant vaginal tearing and bruising, as well as deep bruises on her shoulders and wrists where he held her down. We have a sample of his sperm though, so we can nail him at the trial."

"Good. Ok. I'm gonna call Danny, tell him what we have." Mac walked off, already dialling Danny's number.

"Say hi to Lindsay for me." Stella called after him, and after seeing him nod, she headed off to find Flack.

She found him on the roof, leaning against the railing, looking across at the New York skyline, lit up by a red-orange glow from the slowly setting sun. She slowly approached him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey. How you holding up?"

"Hey, Stell." Flack said, turning to face her. "Mac still mad at me?"

"He's just stressed, we all are. But I know he wanted to knock some sense into that sick son-of-a-bitch just as much as you did.

"He called her a whore, Stell. Lindsay, a whore!" Stella's eyes widened in surprise as anger bubbled up inside her. She now understood why Flack lost his cool. "He deserved to be punished."  
"I know, Don. But beating him to a pulp is not the way to go about it."

"I know, Stell." She slid her hand, that was still situated on his shoulder, down his arm, and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "Thanks." He pulled on her hand, pulling her into a hug. Stella was surprised by the intimate gesture, but quickly reciprocated. They pulled away moments later.

"We better get back. Don't worry, we'll get him." They headed back down the lab, their hands still entwined.

**About a month later...**

Lindsay is perched on the bathtub in her en-suite bathroom, holding a small plastic stick. _This cannot be happening. _

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Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review :)


	5. Shocking Revelations

**Chapter 5: Shocking Revelations**

**AN: **A few things to note about this chapter:

**1.** This chapter is rated M, as there is a small amount of smut in it. I didn't wanna rate the whole story M for one chapter, so just proceed with caution.

**2. **I know that it is possible to test paternity before a baby is born, but I only found that out after I had planned out this chapter, so just for the purposes of this story, lets say that the procedure is too risky, ok?

**3. **I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever been pregnant, so sorry if I get anything wrong medically. Thanks x

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Normally when a woman finds out she is pregnant, it is a joyous occasion. But this situation was anything but ordinary.

For the last hour or so, Lindsay had been sitting in her small bathroom, a million thoughts running through her mind. _What if it's __**his? **__Am I rea__dy for that? Bringing up __**his**__ son knowing what he did to me? Heck, I'm not ready for any baby! Me and Danny just got together. Oh my god, Danny! How do I tell him? _Just then, the familiar sound of a key sliding into a lock and the door being pushed open drifted to Lindsay's ears.

"Honey, I'm home!" Danny called jokily. He had nipped out to pick up some breakfast for the two of them. _Well, it's now or never. _She unlocked the door of the bathroom and, pregnancy test in hand, walked into the bedroom. Danny entered soon after, thinking Lindsay was still sleeping.

"Hey Montana. I brought us some breakfast..." he trailed off when he saw Lindsay standing there, eyes downcast looking nervous. "What's wrong, baby?" He walked over to her and tried to take her hands in his, but noticed she was holding something. His eyes widened in shock as he looked up, the question he wanted to voice being expressed through his eyes. She just nodded meekly before falling into his embrace. He immediately wrapped his strong arms round her small frame, holding her close as she cried. He guided her over to the edge of the bed and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, just wanting comfort. This gave him time to think about what he had just found out. His thoughts took a similar direction to Lindsay's had moments before - _Who's the father? _His mind drifted back to a night two days before Lindsay was shot...

_Lindsay had just clocked off a double shift and was ready to go curl up in her cosy bed for a few hours sleep. She grabbed her stuff out of her locker and slammed the door closed. She turned round and came face-to-face with her charming boy-friend. He placed a quick kiss on her nose, making her laugh. _

_"Hey Montana. Me and Flack were gonna go to Cosy's and watch Mac play, but he got called onto a case. You wanna come with?" He flashed his trademark smile, and Lindsay felt herself melt. How could she say no to him? _

_"Sure, Cowboy, but only if you're buying." She saw his grin widen. _

_"Deal." He took her hand in his and they walked out of the lab and headed towards the jazz bar. _

_They arrived at Cosy's a short while later. Lindsay went to sit at a table in the corner of the room, whilst Danny went to the bar to order their drinks. A group of guys at the table next to Lindsay's were looking over towards her. She tried to ignore their wolf-whistles and _

_wandering eyes, but she was growing more uncomfortable. Just then, Danny returned with the drinks. He had seen the guys checking Lindsay out, so when he placed the drinks on the table, he leaned in and kissed her softly, before turning towards the guys with a 'She's mine, so back off' look. They soon got the message and turned their attention to the stage, where Mac's band were playing a upbeat jazz song. _

_"Thanks." Lindsay said, once the guys had stopped looking at her. _

_"No worries." Danny smiled and took her hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. They drank and talked about work, their cases and various other things, whilst listening to the band's rendition's of popular jazz classics. _

_A little while later, Danny excused himself to go to the restroom. One of the guys from earlier saw his chance, and approached Lindsay. _

_"Hey baby. Where'd your boy go?" he asked, his voice slurred, the acrid smell of alcohol on his breath. Lindsay just ignored him, turning her attention to the band, where Mac was introducing their next song. _

_"Hey, I'm talking to you!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her round to face him. He leant in and whispered in her ear. _

_"Let's ditch this shit-hole, and I'll show you a good time." Lindsay visibly shuddered at the thought. She wondered what was taking Danny so long. The man had grabbed her by the wrists and was trying to pull her up. She was forced to stand. He leant in to try and kiss her, but she turned away, so he ended up kissing her cheek, leaving a big glob of saliva on the side of her face. Danny walked out of the bathroom to see Lindsay trying to push the guy off. "Man, they can't take a hint, can they?" he thought aloud. He walked briskly up behind the guy and pulled him off Lindsay by the collar of his shirt. He slammed him up against the wall, so his feet didn't even touch the ground. Danny's eyes had turned almost black in rage. _

_"You ever touch my girl again, you'll regret it." _

_"Oh, yeah, what'ya gonna do about it, punk?" Danny brought his fist back, but was stopped by Lindsay calling to him.  
"Leave him, Dan. He's not worth it, let's just get outta here." Danny dropped the man, sending him falling into a heap on the floor, before taking Lindsay's hand and walking out the bar. Lindsay could Danny was still tense, so she pulled on his hand to make him stop. He looked at her questioningly. _

_"Thanks, Dan, for saving me in there." _

_"No problem, Montana. I'm just glad he didn't hurt you. He didn't, did he?" Anger rose up again in Danny at the thought of __**his **__girl getting hurt. His girl; he liked the sound of that. _

_"No, he didn't hurt me." Danny sighed in relief. He looked into her eyes, and saw she was still scared. He pulled her into a hug. _

_"No-one's ever going to hurt you, Linds. Not if I have anything to do about it." He placed a kiss on her head. "Let's get you home." He hailed a cab. He opened the door for Lindsay. He climbed in after her and gave the cabbie Lindsay's address. _

_"You don't have to come with me, Danny. I can take care of myself."  
"I don't doubt that, Montana. But, I'd shoot myself if I let anything happen to you." Lindsay smiled, before sliding over to him, as he put an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. _

_Soon, the cabbie pulled up outside a huge apartment building. Danny paid the fare and helped Lindsay out the cab. They walked hand-in-hand to Lindsay's apartment. Lindsay fiddled with her keys, looking as though she was trying to find the right key, but was really just buying time to pluck up the courage to invite Danny in. She found the right key and unlocked the door. _

_"Well, I guess this is it... Goodnight Danny."  
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_"G'night, Montana." Danny kissed her softly. He turned to go, but was stopped by the sound of Lindsay calling his name.  
_

_"Yeah?" _

_"You wanna... Come inside?" Lindsay stuttered over the words, but was calmed when she saw Danny smile. _

_"I thought you'd never ask." Lindsay stepped back to allow him inside. He slipped off his jacket, and slung it over the back of her couch. _

_"You want a beer?" Lindsay asked as she headed into the kitchen. _

_"Sure." Danny replied as he headed into the living room. This was actually the first time he'd been in Lindsay's apartment. They always went round to his. The walls were littered with pictures - mainly of Lindsay and her family back in Montana. He wandered round, looking at them, smiling at the memories. One caught his eye - it was of two girls on what he assumed was her parent's ranch. He instantly recognised one was Lindsay. The two girls looked so alike, they could have easily been twins. _

_"Hey, Montana, you never told me you had a sister?" Lindsay walked in from the kitchen, and saw Danny looking at the picture. _

_"She's not my sister. That's Kelly; she was my best friend. Everyone always told us we looked like twins... She died when I was 16." Her voice cracked as she thought back to that day. Danny put down the picture and walked over to sit on the sofa, where Lindsay was sitting. _

_"I'm sorry, Linds, I didn't know." He pulled her to him, rubbing her back soothingly. _

_"It's ok. You wanna watch a movie or something?" Danny noted the quick change of subject and decided not to push.  
_

_"Only if I get to pick. I'm not watching some chick flick." Danny got up and walked up to Lindsay's DVD collection. Scanning the titles, he found something good, and placed it in the player before grabbing the remote and pressing play. He settled down next to Lindsay on the couch, who soon snuggled up to him, her head on his chest, his arm round her shoulders. _

_"Didn't peg you for a 'Charlie's Angels' fan, Dan." Lindsay said as the first scene appeared on the 37 inch plasma TV, the hints of a smile visible on her face. _

_"It's got 3 smoking-hot girls kicking ass, what's not to like?" She punched him playfully. "Of course, not as hot as you, Montana." She looked up at him and saw he was smirking. She tried to look away, but found herself drowning in his sky-blue eyes. She felt herself moving closer until their lips touched. The kiss, which had started out soft and gentle, quickly turned passionate. Danny's tongue ran along her bottom lip, begging for entrance that was instantly granted. Lindsay felt herself being pushed back until she felt the softness of the couch cushions against her back. Danny slid on top of her, supporting his weight with his arms. He pulled away only to attach his lips to her neck, eliciting a moan from Lindsay. His lips travelled down further, down her collarbone towards her breasts. Lindsay's hand travelled down from his shoulders to his chest, moving her hands down until they reached the hem of his shirt. She gently tugged. Danny took the hint and sat up, helping her rid him of the T-shirt. She quickly returned her hands to his now bare chest, raking her nails over his rippling abs. Danny pulled her top up to expose her breasts, barely covered by a black lace bra. She pulled the top over her head and reached round to unclasp her bra, letting it fall to the floor to join the ever-growing pile of clothing. He cupped one breast in his hand, loving that it fit perfectly. He gently massaged it, rubbing his thumb over the taut nipple, causing Lindsay to moan and buck into his growing erection. Danny buried his face in the crook of her neck, trying desperately to regain some control. _

_"You sure you wanna do this, Linds?" he whispered. "I mean... we've only been dating a few weeks, and I wouldn't want to push you into..." He was silenced by Lindsay's lips descending on his. He took that for a yes. Her hands travelled down his abs to the waistband of his jeans. _

_She swiftly undid the belt buckle and unzipped him, pushing the trousers down his legs so he can kick them off. He does the same to her, slowly revealing her matching panties. He slowly pulled them down her legs, inch by inch, slowly revealing her pussy to him. She kicked them off her ankles. Danny's breath hitched in his throat as his eyes travelled down her body. He saw her blush self-consciously. _

_"You're beautiful." he said, kissing her deeply. She smiled as he pulled away. He saw her eyes glaze over in lust._

_"You're a little overdressed, Cowboy." Lindsay said huskily, a seductive smile on her face that made Danny groan. He quickly pulled his boxers down and guided himself to her entrance. He kissed her as he entered, muffling the sounds of her moans of satisfaction. Danny had to squeeze his eyes shut and take a few breaths to refrain from shooting his load right away. After giving her a minute to adjust to his length, he started to thrust, slowly at first, before picking up the pace when he felt her move to meet every thrust. He quickened the pace as he felt his release approach. He could hear Lindsay's breathing becoming more rapid and knew she was close too. He reached down to rub her clit, bringing her to her climax. She shuddered as she screamed his name, waves of intense pleasure running through her entire body. The feel of her muscles tightening round him was too much for Danny, who exploded inside her, her name escaping his lips in a low growl. He collapsed on top of her, shifting over to the side so he wouldn't crush her. He withdrew from her and she laid her head on his chest, letting his drumming heartbeat lull her into the first peaceful sleep she'd had in years. Danny watched her as she slept, admiring her beauty before sleep overcame him too. _

Danny realised that they hadn't used protection that night, so there was a distinct possibility that the baby could be his. He looked down at Lindsay, who had ceased crying.

"Honey, we need to book you in the docs, you know, just to confirm it, ok?" Lindsay nodded and extracted herself from Danny's grasp to go call the practice. She came back in a few minutes later telling him if they hurried the doctor could squeeze them in now.

"Ok. You go get dressed. We'll eat breakfast on the way." Lindsay nodded then walked over to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. Danny went into the kitchen and picked up the breakfast he'd bought from Starbucks earlier. Lindsay emerged from the bedroom ten minutes later. She grabbed her jacket and keys and they were out the door.

They arrived at the practice fifteen minutes later, and approached the reception desk. The receptionist was a tall, blonde woman who looked like she'd rather be anywhere but there.

"Hello. I'm Lindsay Monroe; I'm here to see Dr. Chase."

"Go right in; she's been expecting you." The receptionist pointed a long, manicured finger at a small door. Lindsay thanked the woman, before taking Danny's hand and heading towards the doctor's office. They knocked on the door and, after hearing a muffled "Come in", entered. Dr Chase looked to be in her late thirties, with flame-red hair and a welcoming smile.

"Good morning, Miss Monroe. And who is this?" She gestured to Danny.

"This is Danny, my boyfriend."

"Pleased to meet you. Please take a seat." Dr Chase gestured to the two seats in front of her desk, which they quickly occupied. "So, why have you come to see me today?"

"I've been feeling ill for a few days, and two weeks ago, I missed my period. I thought it was just stress, but I was worried, so I took a pregnancy test this morning, and it came back positive. I just thought I'd come in and get checked out."

"Of course." Dr Chase ran several tests on Lindsay including a blood test to confirm what the home pregnancy test had told them. She also took a brief medical history from both Lindsay and Danny. Since the clinic was booked and Dr Chase had patients waiting, they decided to book an ultrasound for the following week.

"Alright. Looks like we're done for today. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes. Is there any way to establish paternity before the baby's born?"

"Oh, you're not the father?" she asked Danny. Danny looked to Lindsay.

"Err... About a month or so ago, I was raped..." Lindsay said. Danny placed a hand on her knee in support.

"Say no more, I understand. Unfortunately, those kinds of procedures come with high risks. When we do the ultrasound, we'll be able to determine accurately how many weeks along you are. We might be able to determine who the father is that way. If not, we can test it as soon as the baby is born."

"Ok. Thank-you, doctor." Lindsay stood up. They both shook hands with the doctor and headed out of the practice.

They headed back to Danny's car. Danny helped Lindsay in, before jogging round to the driver's side and hopping in. "When does your shift start, Linds?" Danny asked.

"In about half an hour."

"The lab it is, then." He buckled his seatbelt, started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot towards the lab. The first few minutes of the ride were silent. Danny glanced over to see Lindsay staring out the window, deep in thought.

"Yo, earth to Montana?" Lindsay jumped slightly and looked over to Danny. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, sorry Dan. It's just... I don't think I can do this." He reached over and cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.

"Lindsay, I love you and I love this child, whether I'm the father or not. I know it's going to be hard, but I'm not going anywhere. I'll support you every step of the way, ok? We'll get through this together." He leant over to give her a quick kiss before re-focusing his attention on the road, his hand firmly grasping hers.

Ten minutes later, Danny swung his department-issued SUV into the lab parking garage. They both jumped out and headed through the automatic doors into the lab building. After flashing their IDs at the security desk they called the elevator down to the ground floor. Surprisingly, it was empty. They stepped in and Danny hit the button for the 35th floor. He snaked his arms around Lindsay's waist, who soon leant into his embrace.

"So, do you want to tell the team?" Danny asked.

"They're trained investigators, Dan. They're gonna figure it out eventually, so we might as well come clean now."

"True. Do you wanna tell them together, or do you wanna tell Stella first, 'cause I know you two have got that whole girl-friend thing going on..." Lindsay spun around in his arms and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. After she pulled away, Danny looked at her with his adorable confused expression.

"Not that I mind, Montana, but what was that for?" he asked, his accent coming through thickly.

"To get you to shut up. You were babbling like you always do when you're nervous." Danny chuckled, a sheepish grin on his face. "Relax babe, we'll tell Mac first, since he is our boss, then we'll just go from there, ok?" She placed another kiss on his lips. Just as Danny attempted to deepen the kiss, the elevator doors slid open. They stepped out and headed in the direction of Mac's office.

As they approached Mac's office, they could see through the transparent walls that it was unoccupied.

"That's strange. Mac practically lives in his office." Danny joked, earning an elbow in the ribs from Lindsay.

"Let's try the break-room," she suggested, turning and dragging Danny with her. They entered the break-room to find the whole team sitting at the table.

"Slow day, guys?" Danny asked, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Even criminals have to take a day off sometime, Messer." Flack retorted.

"What you doing here, Danny? Your shift doesn't start for a good three hours." Mac queried.

"Actually, Lindsay and I have an announcement." He looked to Lindsay and squeezed her hand in support.

"I'm pregnant." She looked around, trying to gauge her colleagues' reactions. The whole room was silent.

"Congrats, guys, that's... that's great," Stella said, standing up to hug Danny before pulling Lindsay off to the side.

"Is it Danny's?" Stella asked.

"Whoa, you don't beat around the bush." Stella gave Lindsay a look. She sighed. "I don't know Stell. It could be. I mean, we obviously haven't been trying, but one night, a couple of days before the... incident at the Mullins scene, things... got outta hand. We won't know for sure 'til it's born; a pre-natal paternity test would put the baby at risk."

"What will you do if it's not Danny's? Have you considered your options?"

"I'm keeping it, Stell, whether it's his or not. My family's always been against abortion, and I couldn't give it up. Besides, even though we've never discussed it, I know Danny's always wanted kids."

"You're tough, kiddo. You'll get through this." Stella pulled her into a hug, before going off to talk to the others. Meanwhile, Danny was talking to Flack.

"Congrats, man." Flack said, giving Danny a clap on the back.

"Thanks." Flack could see Danny was distracted; something was bothering him.

"What's eating you, Messer?"

"What if it's not mine?" Realisation dawned on Flack. He sighed.

"Well, is there a chance it's yours?"

"Yeah, there's a chance, but..."

"No buts, Dan. Thinking like that won't help you or Lindsay. Hold onto that hope, and you'll get through this. Faith is a powerful tool, Danny; use it."

"You going all Dr Phil on me, Don." They both laughed.

"You'll make a great father, Dan."

"Thanks, man." They shared a quick hug.

"Okay guys, party's over. We've got cases to solve." Mac said. Stella, Mac, Flack and Hawkes grabbed their stuff and headed out, leaving Danny and Lindsay alone.

"Well, I better get to work. How about you come over to mine when your shift's over?" Lindsay asked.

"Sure. See ya later. I love you."

"Love you too." She gave him a quick kiss before hurrying after the others. Danny headed back to the elevator to take him back to his car.

* * *

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review :) Oh and I apologize for the big gaps in the layout, I don't know what happened.


	6. Scares, Confessions and Miracles

**Chapter 6: Scares, Confessions, And Miracles **

**AN:**OK, this is the penultimate chapter, meaning there will only be one more chapter after this. Again, the medical stuff may not be accurate. I'm only relying on the little knowledge I know from watching medical shows. So, just bear with me, alright? Also, I jump around a lot time-wise, because I don't wanna cover the whole pregnancy. Thanks for reading, and please review; they give me incentive to continue. :)

* * *

**About six months later...**

Lindsay was about to run some trace samples through the GCMS when an excruciating sharp pain shot through her abdomen, causing her to fall to her knees. The test tubes and vials she was carrying fell to the ground, the glass and toxic chemicals splattering everywhere. Danny, who was walking by, witnessed his girlfriend falling and came running to her side.  
"What's wrong, baby?" Danny asked, his every word dripping with panic and concern. "Linds, talk to me, baby, what's wrong?"

"My stomach... The baby..." was all she could manage as another wave of pain coursed through her. Danny pulled her away from the broken glass onto a nearby stool.

"I'll be right back, honey, I need to get you some help, ok?" He rushed out into the corridor and was relieved to see Hawkes just exiting the elevator.

"Hawkes! I need you, it's Lindsay!" Hawkes heard the panic in Danny's voice and ran over. Danny brought him into the lab where Lindsay was sitting, still clutching her protruding abdomen in agony.

"What happened?" Hawkes asked, kneeling in front of her. Lindsay took a few deep breaths to try and suppress the pain.

"I was just testing some samples... when I got these really bad stomach cramps."

"She just doubled over. I didn't know what to do. Please tell me she's gonna be alright?" Danny asked, his eyes frantically flicking from Hawkes to his girl and back again.  
"The pain could just be a sign of over-exertion, or..." Hawkes faltered as he looked into the fear-stricken faces of his two close friends.

"Or what?" Lindsay asked, her voice quivering.

"Or these could be signs that the baby is in distress and you could lose it."

"Lindsay gasped and clutched Danny's hand, tears springing from her eyes.

"We need to get you to NY Presbyterian stat. Come on, Danny. We can get her there faster than an ambulance can fight its way through downtown traffic." Danny picked Lindsay up bridal-style and, along with Hawkes, starting running towards the stairs leading down to the parking garage, corralling the others as they passed.

Danny flew down the flights two at a time, clutching Lindsay close to his chest. Hawkes unlocked his SUV and helped Danny lay Lindsay down on the back seat. Danny clambered in after her. Hawkes jumped into the driver's seat and started the engine. By then, Mac and Stella had joined them.

"We'll call Flack and meet you guys there." Stella said as they hurried over to Mac's car. Tires screeched as both cars peeled out of the parking structure onto the busy downtown streets.

"Can't you drive any faster, Hawkes, she's in serious pain here!"

"I'm trying, Danny." Hawkes honked his horn in a desperate attempt to move the gridlock of traffic that loomed before him. Danny suddenly felt a warm liquid oozing onto the seat, soaking into his jeans. He looked over and saw where it was coming from.

"Hawkes, she's bleeding!"

"Oh man. Okay, Dan, don't panic, ok?" He swung the car into a back alley.

"Where're you going, Hawkes?"

"You think you and Flack are the only ones who know how to avoid traffic? The hospital's only a few blocks away. Just keep her talking; take her mind off the pain." Hawkes replied, swerving to avoid dumpsters and stray dogs.

"Danny?" Danny turned to Lindsay, whose face was creased with pain.

"We're nearly there, baby, just hang in there, ok?"

"I'm scared."

"I know, baby, me too. But, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or our son, ok?"

"You know it's a boy? I thought we wanted to be surprised?"

"I don't know for sure; it's just a hunch, a feeling."

"I hope it's a boy too. I've always wanted a son." Lindsay smiled as Danny placed a kiss on her forehead. The car hurtled round the last corner and screeched to a halt. Danny lifted Lindsay out of the car and raced up the steps, through the doors into the crowded ER. He took her straight to the reception desk, where a nurse was busy with another patient.

"Excuse me? You have to help me!"

"Just take a seat and someone will be with you momentarily." She said, without turning around.

"No! You have to help me, now!"

"Fine." She sighed and turned to Danny, who was still cradling Lindsay in his arms. Once she saw the state of Lindsay, she sprung into action. Hawkes filled the nurse in on Lindsay's condition.

"35 year old female, 30 weeks pregnant. Severe abdominal pain and mild vaginal bleeding."

"Alright. Let's get her into bay four and a doctor will be with you shortly." Danny laid Lindsay down on the bed. A doctor joined them moments later.

"Alright. What do we have here?" Hawkes repeated what he had said to the nurse.

"Okay. Nurse, we need a portable ultrasound in here please?" The nurse wheeled a cart into the bay. The doctor squeezed the gel onto Lindsay's swollen belly.

"Okay. What's your name?"

"Lindsay."

"Okay, Lindsay. We're gonna check to see if we can hear a heartbeat, and whether the baby's in distress, ok?" She nodded. The doctor placed the reader on her stomach and looked towards the screen as the first blurry images came through. The whole room was silent as they waited for the reassuring sound of a heartbeat. Seconds later, a soft thumping echoed round the room. Danny and Lindsay both let out a sigh of relief.

"Heartbeat's there and sounds strong, although maybe a little slow for my liking."

"So, what caused the pain?" Hawkes asked.

"Most probably simple over-exertion causing distress for the baby. I recommend a few days of bed rest to be on the safe side. We'll give you some painkillers for the pain, but it should subside after rest."

"I told you were pushing yourself too hard. I think it's time to go on maternity leave, Montana."

"Okay, baby." Lindsay knew not to argue with him; he was already very over-protective of her. She knew that, when the baby came, he would be a great father.

Lindsay was let out an hour later. Given that both their shifts were now over, they decided to go back to Danny's apartment. They settled on the couch with a beer for Danny and a glass of water for Lindsay, since she couldn't drink, much to her annoyance.

"You know, Montana, my lease is up next month and, as neither of our apartments are big enough for a family, maybe we could get a place together?" Lindsay looked up at Danny in surprise and saw that he was looking back with apprehension, awaiting her response.

"I'd love to, Danny. Maybe tomorrow we can go apartment hunting?" Danny's face lit up as a huge smile crossed his face. He leant down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. She wrapped her arms around him as he carried her to the bedroom.

**4 weeks later...**

"You gonna help us with this, Messer, or you gonna just stand there?" Flack grumbled as he and Hawkes heaved a huge cardboard box up the last few steps to the apartment, which was now the new residence of Danny and Lindsay. Danny stood in the doorway, watching his supposedly buff, strong friends struggling to carry the box. He shifted out the way as they dumped it in the hallway.

"That's the last one, Monroe. Can we go now; some of us have work to do." Flack said, glancing over at Danny.

"Sure guys," Lindsay replied. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem." They waved as the guys left to go back to the lab.

"Man, I didn't know we had so much stuff, Montana. It's gonna take hours to unpack all this." Danny whined, surrounded by mountains of boxes brought over from both their apartments. "And why did we have to leave the pool table behind?"

"There's no way you can expect us to haul that thing halfway across town. Besides, you said it came with the apartment."

"Do you think we should have told the new owners what we did on there?" He asked, the corners of his mouth twitching into a mischievous smile.

"We wanted to sell the place, Danny, not scare them away!" They both laughed, and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Ouch!" Lindsay exclaimed.

"What? What's wrong?" Danny asked, slight panic in his voice.

"Your son's very active today." She took his hand and placed on her swollen belly. Danny felt the strong vibrations as the baby kicked. His eyes lit up.

"Whoa. He could be the next star kicker." Lindsay laughed.

"So, we need a name for this little guy." Danny said, stroking Lindsay's abdomen.

"Right. How about... Alfie?" Lindsay suggested, laughing at Danny's face.

"Too weak. He has to be tough; he is a Messer, after all!"

"We don't know that, Dan." Lindsay said, sadly, her head hanging down. Danny placed his finger under her chin and lifted it back up to look at him.

"Linds, don't ask me how, but I know he's mine. I can just feel it." Lindsay smiled.

"Ok, so how about... Adrian?" Danny's nose crinkled in disgust.

"Too gay." Lindsay's jaw dropped.

"Adrian is the name of my big brother."

"Oh. Well, when I said that, I didn't mean that every guy named Adrian is gay..."

"Stop while you're ahead, Dan." Lindsay laughed as Danny blushed.

"Ok... Err... How about Jack?"

"Too boring." Lindsay sighed in frustration.

"Ok, why don't **you** pick one, since you've shot down every one of my ideas?" Danny smirked. His forehead wrinkled into a frown as he thought. Lindsay laughed. _He always looks so cute when he's thinking. _

"Got it!" he shouted, triumphantly. "Colby. Colby James Messer."

"It's perfect. What do you think, little guy?" Danny's hand was still placed over her stomach. He felt the baby kick, as if approving the new name.  
"I think he approves." They both laughed before turning on the TV.

**5 weeks and 6 days later...**

Sounds of crunching snow echoed round the park as the couple walked through hand-in-hand, admiring the snow-covered trees and children laughing as they pummeled each other with balls of snow. They came to a stop in front of a wooden park bench. Danny helped Lindsay ease herself down into the seat before taking a seat beside her.

"You know, one of my favorite things about New York?" Lindsay said. "The snow. We never had snow back home."

"Yeah. I remember when I was a kid; me and Louie used to build a snow fort and have a snowball war with the other kids in the neighborhood." Danny's eyes clouded over with tears as he remembered the good times with his brother. "I remember one time; we were hiding behind the fort, when the other side surprised us with a blitz attack. They'd hidden rocks inside the snowballs. One came hurtling towards me. Louie dived in front of me. The snowball hit him square in the face; gave him a black eye. Mum was so mad when we got home." Danny laughed at the memory. "He always had my back." A lone tear slid down his cheek. Lindsay wiped it away with her thumb, her hand lingering on his cheek. Danny leant into her touch. Their special moment was interrupted when their faces were splattered with ice.

"Sorry!" A voice called, as a little boy came running over. "I was aiming at Josh. So sorry." His face was flushed red with embarrassment. Danny ruffled the little boy's hair.

"No worries, kid. Just watch where you throw next time, okay?" The boy nodded and ran off to join his friends. Lindsay wiped the crystals of ice off Danny's cheek and he did the same to her. They leant in and shared a short yet passionate kiss. The buzzing of Danny's cell phone caused them to break apart. As he reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve the offending object, his fingers brushed across and a small, velvet box that had been languishing in his pocket for a few weeks, waiting for the perfect opportunity to reveal itself. He looked at the display on his cell phone to see he had a text message from Flack. _You asked her yet? _He laughed as he deleted the message.

"Who was it?" Lindsay asked, curious as Danny rarely deleted messages without replying.

"No-one." Lindsay looked at him, noticing how nervous he was.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Everything's great." _Now or never. _"You know I love you, right, Linds?"

"Yes, of course. What's wrong, Dan, you're scaring me." He slid off the bench, down onto one knee. Lindsay gasped as realization flooded through her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet box. He lifted the lid to reveal a simple gold band, studded with three shining diamonds.

"Marry me?" Danny asked, his blue eyes staring up, sparkling as the winter sun reflected in his glasses. Just as Lindsay opened her mouth to reply, a sudden contraction swept through her, causing her to call out in pain.

"What's wrong, baby?" Danny asked, concern etched across his face.

"I just felt a contraction. That's the second one in twenty minutes, and they're getting stronger. I think the baby's coming."

"Oh shit." Danny said, jumping to his feet. "Can you make it to the street? I'll call us a taxi." He helped her to her feet and they slowly walked back to the entrance. Danny hailed a cab, and opened the door as Lindsay climbed in. He entered after her.

"NY Presbyterian as fast as you can, driver." Danny said, as he buckled his seatbelt, holding Lindsay's hand tightly.

"Okie-dokie, no problem." The driver said as he peeled out into the rush hour traffic.

Tires screeched as they came to a halt in front of the hospital entrance. Danny chucked a fifty dollar bill towards the driver. "Keep the change," he said as he helped Lindsay out of the taxi. Her contractions were increasing in both frequency and strength. They burst through the ER doors and headed to the reception desk.

"Can you help us, please? My girlfriend's in labor!" Danny said frantically to the nurse behind the desk.

"Maggie, I need a wheelchair over here!" she called. Moments later, another nurse appeared with a wheelchair. They helped Lindsay into it, then whisked her up to the maternity suite, Danny hot on their heels.

A short time later, Lindsay went into labor. Danny had managed to call the team, but they were tied up at the lab. They said they'd slip away as soon as they could.

"Alright. You're fully dilated now, so I need you to push." The nurse informed Lindsay. Lindsay nodded and reached for Danny's hand. She grasped it tightly and began to push. She screamed in pain and squeezed Danny's hand so tight, he visibly winced.

"Geez, Montana. Could you let up a bit? That's my guitar hand." He joked, but soon shut up as Lindsay sent him a death glare. She pushed again, almost cutting off the circulation in Danny's hand, deafening him with her screams.

"That's it. He's nearly out; just one more." Lindsay pushed again, and the baby slid out into the nurse's waiting arms. The sounds of crying filled the room. The midwife took a pair of surgical scissors from the table beside her and passed them to Danny.

"Would you like to cut the cord?" He nodded. The nurse tied off the cord and indicated where Danny should cut. With shaking hands, Danny placed the blades around the cord and carefully snipped it apart. Their baby was then whisked away to be cleaned up and checked. His airway was cleared, and he was wrapped in a fluffy white towel. The midwife then brought him over and placed him on Lindsay's chest. Tears filled her eyes as she stared down at her son's sparkling, blue eyes.

"He has your eyes, Dan." She said softly. "You wanna hold him?" Danny nodded. She handed him over to Danny, who cuddled him close to his chest. He traced the contours of his son's face with his finger. Colby reached up and grabbed onto Danny's finger with his tiny hand.

"He's beautiful." Danny perched on the edge of Lindsay's bed. She moved over so he could lie beside her, Colby still in his arms. A knock on the door startled the family. They looked up to see Mac, Stella, Flack and Hawkes standing in the doorway. Colby started to cry.

"Great, look what you guys did!" Danny said, gently rocking Colby until he stopped crying.

"Well, excuse us for wanting to see the latest addition to the family." Stella said, as they huddled round the bed.

"He looks just like you, Messer." Flack said as he stared down at the little bundle in Danny's arms. Colby looked up at the new guests with innocent curiosity.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Danny laughed.

"Oh, we come bearing gifts," Mac said, placing the presents they had brought on the edge of the bed.

"Cool. What'ya get me?"

"Not for you, Danny. For the baby." The group laughed at Danny's disappointed face. Lindsay opened the first present, which was from Stella, to find a cute baby blue sleep suit and matching hat.

"Aww, it's adorable! Thanks, Stella!" Lindsay said, reaching up to give Stella a hug. They opened the rest of the presents, which consisted of more baby clothes, including a mini Giants Jersey from Flack, and some baby books and toys from Mac and Hawkes.

"Thanks guys, you didn't have to." Lindsay said, overwhelmed by the generosity of her friends. She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped.

"We should let you get some rest, " Mac said. "Call us if you need anything, okay?" The group headed to the door.

"Thanks guys." They left the room, leaving the family alone. Danny stood up and placed a sleeping Colby into the cot beside Lindsay's bed before taking his place back at Lindsay's side. She snuggled into him, laying her head on his chest as he put his arm round her, pulling her close. Her hand came to rest on his thigh and he saw the diamonds in her ring glint as the light from the overhead bulbs was reflected in them.

"You know, I never got my answer."

"Yes, I would love to marry you." Danny's eyes sparkled with joy as he captured her lips in a sweet kiss, both thinking of their future together, knowing they can overcome every obstacle placed in their path.

Hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review :)


	7. Epilogue

**AN: **Well, this is the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I have got a sequel planned about Colby's life, but I don't know when I'll get the chance to write it, especially when schools starts in a few weeks. So, just watch this space.

Anyway, enjoy the last chapter and please review.

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**Chapter 7: Epilogue**

**A week later... **

Danny was sitting at the kitchen counter; a stark, white envelope lying in front of him, unopened. He traced over the seal, willing his trembling fingers to take the plunge. Just as he lifted the corner of the flap up, the front door opened. Lindsay walked in from a double shift, her body and mind weary from the stress of the cases.

"Dan? You home?" She called as she shrugged off her jacket and kicked off her shoes.

"In here, babe," he replied. She followed the sound of his voice to the kitchen where she found him slumped over the counter, envelope in one hand, a tumbler of whiskey in the other. She walked over to him, and could distinctly smell the foul odor of alcohol emanating from every pore, telling her that that certainly wasn't his first shot.

"What's wrong, baby?" She asked, concerned. Danny only drank like this on the anniversary of Louie's death, and that wasn't for a few more months.

"Paternity test results on Colby." he replied, a significant slur to his voice. "I've been sitting here for two hours trying to open it. Ironic, isn't it? I'm not scared of the biggest, evilest criminals, but I'm scared of one little piece of paper?" He let out a drunken laugh.

"I think you've had enough." Lindsay reached over and tugged the glass out of his hand with little resistance. She pushed him off the stool and guided him over to the couch, where he collapsed into the soft fabric, like it was about to swallow him whole. She plopped down beside him.

"Do you want me to open it?" She asked him. After what seemed like a nod of affirmation from Danny, she pried the envelope out of his quivering hand and tore it open, her own hands beginning to shake with nerves.

"Before I tell you the results, I wanna tell you something." She placed the envelope on the table, so neither could read it. "Even if this test doesn't come out the way we want it to, you are still Colby's father. You have raised him this far, and have done an amazing job, and you will continue to raise him. DNA means nothing; biology doesn't make us who we are. It's how we are raised, and I know he will turn out to be a fine young man, because of you. Ok?" Danny had sobered up during Lindsay's rant, and realized that she was right.

"Thanks, Lindsay." She nodded, before reaching over to read the results. Her face lit up as she read the results.

"There's a 99.99 chance you are Colby's father." Danny's mouth grew into a broad smile as he reached over to hug her.

"I'll take those odds," he said, as he leant in to kiss her. She pulled away, and he looked momentarily confused.

"You have whiskey breath!" Lindsay said, as they both erupted in laughter. "I have to go call Stella to tell her the great news." Lindsay dashed off to the bedroom to use the phone in there. Danny picked up the phone to call Flack.

"Hey, Don." He said when Flack answered.

"Messer, you better have a damn good reason to interrupt me on my very important date."

"Sorry. I just thought you'd want to know the results of the paternity test on Colby, but if it's a bad time..."

"Spill, Dan!"

"Okay, okay! There's a 99.99 chance that..."

"Spit it out, Messer, I ain't got all day!"

"He's mine, Don."

"See? I told you, you had nothing to worry about."

"Thanks, man. Well, I'll let you get back to your all-important date. Later." He said goodbye to Flack and hung up the phone, just as Lindsay re-emerged from the bedroom.

"Did you just call Flack?" She asked as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah. You have your friend that you tell first, and I have mine. What did Stella have to say?"

"She said she knew all along, those eyes couldn't belong to anyone but you." Danny smiled. "She was on a date, so we couldn't talk long."

"That's funny, Flack said the same... You don't think?" Lindsay's eyebrows raised as the same thought crossed her mind. They both burst into laughter.

"Well good for them." Danny agreed.

"So, what do you say, we celebrate with a nice little game of pool."

"But Danny, we left the pool table at... Oh." Danny's lips twitched into a smirk as he pulled Lindsay up and they headed towards the bedroom.

...

Flack hung up the phone with Danny just as Stella returned to the table of the Italian restaurant they were currently dining in. Danny had recommended the place; it was in fact the place he took Lindsay for his first date. And he could see why, it was romantic, with soft Italian music playing the background, and the food was to die for.

"So, what did Lindsay have to say?" Flack asked, even though he already knew the answer from his phone-call with Danny.

"That they got the paternity test results back. Colby is Danny's, like there ever was any doubt."

"Did you tell her where you were?"

"I just told her I was on a date."

"Uh oh."

"What?"

"Danny called me to tell me about the results. I told him I was on a date too."  
"Oh, and you're worried; they'll put two and two together?"

"They're CSIs, Stell. It's practically their job."

"And, what, you don't want them to know about us?"

"Not yet."

"And why not? Are you ashamed of this?" She said sadness in her voice. After the incident with Frankie, she had always felt that she was never meant to find Mr. Right, and that she wasn't good enough for any decent man. She thought that her relationship with Flack would be different, but obviously not.

"No, Stell, that's not it, I just..." Stella could feel tears beginning to prick at the corners of her eyes, and so fled the table, bursting through the back doors into the alley behind the restaurant, leaving Flack to wonder what he did wrong. After sitting for a while, he decided he had to go and fix this, so he stood and headed through the doors into the alley. It had started to rain, and the water soon soaked through his suit jacket. He found Stella leaning against the wall, shivering slightly in the cold. He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She turned to him and offered him a weak smile.  
"Thanks."

"No problem." They stood in an awkward silence for what seemed like forever, before Flack decided to break it.

"Look, Stell, if I said something to upset you, I'm sorry. It's not that I'm ashamed of our relationship, it's just... I've never felt like this before, and it scares me. I know you haven't had the best luck with men, what with the Frankie incident, and I wanted to take things slow. I really like you, Stell." He reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, his hand lingering on her cheek. She leant into his touch.

"I'm sorry. I guess I over-reacted." She let out a nervous laugh. "After Frankie, I felt like I wasn't good enough for anyone."

"That's not true, Stell. I know he hurt you, and I would do anything to turn back time and stop him before he did. It hurt me to see you go through what you did, but you got through it. You're stronger than any other woman I know. I know you put up walls, to protect you from hurting, and it's going to take me a while to earn your trust enough to break them down, but I promise you, I'll never hurt you." The tears that had been threatening to fall finally flooded over her lids and cascaded down her cheeks. Flack quickly wiped them away and pulled her into a hug. Stella wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight. She had never felt safer than she did at the moment, in his arms, and she knew this was where she was supposed to be. They broke away moments later.

"We should head back in before we catch a cold." Flack said.

"Actually, I'd rather just go home."

"Oh. Ok, no problem." Flack said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

_Men. Do you have to spell everything out for them? _"Would you like to join me?" Flack's face lit up, his mouth growing into a broad smile that made the walls around Stella's heart come tumbling down.

"I'd love to." He took her hand and, together, they walked back to her car, nervous and excited as to what the rest of the night would bring.

...

**Next day...**

Danny and Lindsay entered the lab, Danny still slightly hung-over from his drinking the night before. Since they were slightly early, they headed into the break-room, where they found Stella and Flack sitting together on the sofa. Danny headed straight for the coffee machine to get his caffeine fix to dispel the headache that felt like someone was drumming inside his head.

"So, you two enjoy your date last night?" Danny asked as he placed a cup of coffee in front of a grateful Lindsay, before settling beside her with his own mug. Flack's face blushed red with embarrassment. But, Stella stayed calm enough to form a response.

"Yes, thank-you. Flack is quite the gentleman, unlike you, Messer." Lindsay laughed along with the others.

"Hey, I can be a gentleman when I want to be, ain't that right, Montana?" Danny looked over to Lindsay, who, upon seeing the expression on his face, burst out laughing once more.

"Hey guys. What's so funny?" Hawkes asked as he entered the break room. He noticed Flack and Stella sitting rather cozily together on the sofa, but had no time to question it as at the moment, Mac entered with their cases.

"Morning everyone. Hope you all had a good night's sleep last night, as it looks like it's going to be a long day. Stella and Hawkes, you've got a DB at 4562 Fifth Avenue. Flack, go with them." They nodded and headed out.

"Danny and Lindsay, you've got a DB in an alley in Queens. Danny, go grab your stuff and wait out front, I need to have a talk with Lindsay." Danny looked over at Lindsay, who nodded, saying she would be ok. He placed a kiss on her forehead before heading off to get his kit.

"What do you wanna talk about, Mac?" Lindsay asked, trying to keep the apprehension out of her voice. Mac took a seat beside her.

"It's about Daniel Cadence." Lindsay tensed up at the mention of his name. "You'll be pleased to know, his lawyers, once confronted with our evidence, advised him to change his plea. He accepted, and he was sentenced to 3 life sentences for the murder of the Mullins family, plus another 15 to life for the sexual assault and attempted murder of a police officer, without the possibility of parole. Ever." Lindsay let out an audible sigh of relief. She felt as though a huge weight that had hung around her for years had finally been lifted. She felt safe and happy. "It's over, Linds; he can't hurt you ever again."

"Thank-you, Mac. For everything." She got up and enveloped him in a hug.

"You're welcome, Linds." They pulled away. "Now you better go find Danny before he causes any trouble." They both laughed as they headed out.

Lindsay exited the elevator into the parking garage. She saw Danny leaning against his SUV and headed over to him.

"Hey baby, ready to go?" She said as she chucked her kit into the backseat.

"What did Mac wanna talk about?"

"It was about the Cadence trial." Danny looked at her, concerned. Mac's team weren't in charge of the case, because of the conflict of interest, so he had no idea how the trial was progressing. "He changed his plea to guilty."

"Please don't tell me he cut a deal?"

"No. His lawyer advised him to change his plea, as a trial would be pointless with the evidence we had. He got life, without the possibility of parole. Ever." Danny sighed in relief. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

"It's over now, baby. He can't hurt you now." Danny could feel Lindsay's shoulders shaking as sobs racked her body - cries of happiness and relief that the ordeal that had plagued her for 19 years was finally over. Danny soothed her, rubbing his hands over her back, kissing her head as she let out all the emotion she had been bottling up. Once she had calmed down, they jumped in the car and sped off to the crime scene.

...

Mac walked into the crowded bar, the smell of alcohol and stale cigarette smoke hitting him like a tidal wave. He scoured the crowd looking for his team. He spotted them in a booth at the back. He sidled over to them, and saw Stella already had a beer sitting in his usual spot.

"Thanks, Stell." He slid into the booth, next to Stella, who was in turn sitting next to Flack. Hawkes was sitting opposite him. Danny and Lindsay were yet to arrive. He took a sip of his beer, savoring the cool liquid as it glided down his throat. Just then, they saw the door swing open as the couple entered. They joined the gang at the table, sliding in next to Hawkes.

"Sorry we're late guys. Someone had to go back to get changed." Danny said, glancing over towards Lindsay.

"You weren't the one who had to go dumpster diving!" She retorted.

"Alright you two, give it a rest." Mac said. "Now, I've called you all here to celebrate various things. Firstly, as some of you may know, Daniel Cadence, after being advised by his lawyers, has changed his plea to guilty and received 3 life sentences for the murders of the Mullins family, plus of course another 15 to life for the sexual assault and attempted murder of a police officer. Judge also denied any possibility of parole, and he will fulfill his sentence in maximum security." An audible sigh of relief could be heard escaping from everyone's mouths.

"Good riddance to the bastard." Flack said, receiving a hearty agreement from the others. They lifted their glasses and toasted to Lindsay, and how strong she had been during this ordeal. When Lindsay raised her glass to clink against Stella's, Stella noticed the ring on Lindsay's finger glinting in the light.

"Lindsay?"

"Yeah, Stell?"

"Is there something you're not telling us?" She asked, gesturing to the ring. Lindsay blushed.

"You remember, just before Colby was born? We told you we were taking a walk in Central Park. Well, Danny proposed and I said yes."

"About time, Messer." Flack said as he leaned over to congratulate him, as Stella did the same to Lindsay.

"Well, this calls for another toast. To Danny and Lindsay." Mac said, raising his glass once more.

"To Danny and Lindsay." Everyone chorused as they clinked glasses. Mac looked around at his team with fatherly pride. He knew they could handle whatever was thrown at them, and he felt hopeful for the future.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review. Thanks x


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